Governor Christie went to the Republican stronghold of Morris County today to argue for his new budget proposal, one day after declaring that the state’s pension obligations are unsustainable and must be reined in.

“I’m willing to work with the entire Legislature to come up with good ideas to deal with this,” he said of the pension system, adding that if Democrats don’t work him, “I’m going to have to come up with more extreme measures to deal with it. And I don’t think anyone wants me to do that.”

Christie’s no tax hike but no cut, either. It makes a record $2.25 billion payment into New Jersey’s underfunded public employee pension system.

Governor Christie launched an aggressive push for his budget proposal on Wednesday, warning that he might take "more extreme measures" to alter the state's pension system if Democratic lawmakers don't work with him to make changes.

He spoke to a largely supportive audience in the Republican stronghold of Morris County one day after unveiling his proposed budget and declaring that pension obligations must be reined in.

“I’m willing to work with the entire Legislature to come up with good ideas to deal with this,” he said. But if Democrats in charge of the Senate and Assembly don't cooperate, he added, “I’m going to have to come up with more extreme measures to deal with it. And I don’t think anyone wants me to do that.”

At Wednesday's town hall-style event in Long Hill Township, the Republican governor repeated a warning from Tuesday’s budget speech about avoiding the fate of Detroit, which declared bankruptcy last year amid staggering debt.

“Detroit is giving us a preview of what could happen to us,” he said. “It’s the trailer for what could happen to us if we don’t get on top of this problem now.”

Democrats, though, argue that the state is not necessarily headed for crisis, and pension changes put in place in 2011 need time to work.

The town hall-style event — Christie’s 111th since becoming governor and his second in two weeks — was crowded with supporters, including one woman who had been a friend of Christie’s mother. She asked him to sign some copies of Time magazine with his photo on the cover.

No one asked about the ongoing George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal or problems that have recently come to light with the dispersal of Superstorm Sandy relief money. Several people, though, did shout at the governor to urge him to oppose hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of drilling for natural gas. The crowd booed the activists, drowning out their shouts.

But Christie focused on the state budget. In response to one man, who asked about lowering taxes, the governor complained about the Assembly and Senate, which are both controlled by Democrats.

“You want taxes reduced, don’t elect a Democratic Legislature,” he said. “I’ve tried to reduce taxes, with no help from the Legislature.”

Tom Hester, a spokesman for the Assembly Democrats, disputed the governor’s record on taxes.

Christie also launched an apparent attack against Stephen Sweeney, the Democratic president of the Senate who has regularly worked with the Republican governor on high-profile legislation. Sweeney, of Gloucester County, is seen as a likely candidate in the 2017 gubernatorial race.

“Let’s not start running for governor now,” Christie said. “That’s the great thing, especially with the state Senate. Everyone wakes up in the morning, they look in the mirror, and they see a governor. Well, maybe or maybe not.”